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No. 6|8,4|6. Patented 1an. 3|'7 |899. H. L. IDE &. H. FERNSTROM.

PISTON VALVE.

(Applicatio'n med occ. 1o, 189s.,

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jak/wey@ IINTTEE STATES EETCEe PATENT HARRY L. IDE AND HERMAN FERNSTROM, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO A. L. IDE da SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

PISTON-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 618,416, dated January 31, 1899 Application filed October l0. 1898. Serial No. 693,123. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY L. IDE and HERMAN FERNsTRoM, citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a certain ne W and useful Improvement in Piston-Valves, (Oase No. 1,) of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description. v

Our invention relates to piston-valves of the class`in which the packing consists of eX- pansible metal rings; and the object of our invention, speaking generally, isrto simplify and improve the construction of those parts by which the packing-rings are supported and their adjustment effected and maintained.

A feature of our invention consists in the construction of the follower-head or followerplate, which we have provided with cams and combined with cam-blocks and a clamping device, so that by rotating the follower-plate the cam-blocks are forced against the packing-rings to expand the same, the adjustment thus effected being retained by means of the clamp.

Our invention comprises a piston body preferably having an extension which may be threaded, a plurality of cam-blocks held in place near the periphery of the pistonbody, a follower head or plate carrying cams adapted to engage the cam-blocks; packingrings interposed between the follower-plate and the piston-body, the said follower-head or follower-plate and piston-body serving to secure the packing-rings in position, and a nut engaging the threadedfextension of the piston-body or other suitable clamping device adapted to secure the follower-head in anyposition to which it maybe adjusted and clamp the packing-rings together by means of the follower-head--that is to say, the follower-head is provided with cams and mounted to be rotated to cause the cams thereof to force outwardly the cam-blocks and thus expand and adjust the packing-rings, and thus when the adjustment of the packing-rings has been effected the follower-head, which has been operated to do this work, is clamped in position and the adjustment of the packing-rings is maintained. We preferablyu'se four cam-blocks, the inner face of each having a central projection or enlargement to come against the edge or face of the cam, the projections or surfaces at the ends of the camblocks being just long enough to act as guides and rub against pins placed between the camblocks, but not to come in contact with the cam-surface of the follower-head, the center projection or enlargement being the one that rides on the cam-surface.

The construction'of our piston-valve is such that the adjustments may be made without removing the same from the steam-chest.

Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a piston-valve partially in section, a portion of the steamchest containing the valve being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of two assembled packingrings. Fig. I is a perspective view of the follower-head carrying the cams. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cam-blocks. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of a piston-valve embodying our invention.

Like lettersindicate like parts throughout the different views.

The preferred embodiment of ourinvention is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Each end of the piston-bodya is provided with a threaded portion or extension b. A packing-ring c is provided with an annular recess c to receive an enlargement of the piston-body. A second packing-ring CZ is provided with an annular recess d', in which the outer periphery of the follower-head c is seated. The follower-head is provided with a smooth bore which slips over the extension of the pistonbody, said extension thus constituting a centering device or plug. The follower-heads are rotatable in a plane practically perpendicularto the axis of the piston-body. A cam portion (in this instance four cam-blocks ff) is placed near the outer periphery of the piston-body and engages the packing-rings. Each cam-block is provided with a central enlargement f', which projects farther toward Ythe center of the piston than the remaining IOO portions of the cam-block, the enlargement riding upon the cam-surface provided upon `the follower-head. Distance or guide pins q g g g are interposed between the cam-blocks to maintain the same in proper position. A pin k is carried by each packing-ring, these 'pins being interposed between the distancepins g g', which are preferably longer than the pins g g. By this means the ends of the packing-rings are prevented from coming in alinement. The follower-head carries cams 7L,corresponding in number to the cam-blocks, each cam in this instance having that surface which is adapted to engage a cam-block eccentric with relation to the center of the piston.

In assembling the parts the packing-ring c is first placed in position upon the pistonbody, after which the packin g-rin g d is superimposed upon the packing-ring c, the pins 7c, carried by the paching-rings,being interposed between the pins g g'. The cam-blocks f are then placed between the pins g g g' g', &c., the projections f facing the center of the piston-body. The follower-head is then slipped over the threaded extension. The followerhead maybe provided with a series of recesses e', in which the prongs of a Spanner-wrench may be inserted to rotate the follower-head to thrust the cam-blocks outward the desired distance to secure the required expansion of the packing-rings, the outward thrust of the` cam-blocks being effected by the engagement of the enlargements f with the cams upon the follower-head. To maintain the adjustment of the packing-rings,we preferably screw a nut 't' upon the threaded portion b of the piston-body, said nut engaging the followerhead to secure it in the position to which it has been adjusted and at the same time serving to press the follower-head toward the piston-body to clamp the packing-rin gs c d firmly in place.

We preferably provide that portion of each extension which projects through the followerhead with means on the end for holdingthe body of the valve from turning while adjustment is being made at the opposite end, which means preferably consist of a polygonal portion b', in this instance of hexagonal contour. In effecting, for example, the adjustment of the right-hand end of the piston-valve shown in Fig. l the plates Z upon the ends of the.

steam-chest Z may be removed to permit access to both ends of the piston-valve. The left-hand portion b' is engaged by a wrench to prevent the piston-body from turning. The nut i upon the right-hand end is then removed, and the packing-rings expanded by rotating the follower-head with a suitable wrench. After the desired expansion of the packing-rings has been effected the adjustment is secured by screwing the nut fi into engagement with the follower-head.

Heretofore it was not practicable to adjust the packing-rings upon the piston-valve without removing the same from the'steam-chest, which involved a great deal of trouble and which made it very difficult to get the exact amount of expansion to the rings to make the valve lit properly. By the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 we are enabled to effect and maintain the adjustment without taking the valve from the steam-chest.

In Fig. G we have shown a modified form of our improvement in which a threaded sleeve t" is employed, the threaded sleeve engaging a threaded portion b of the pistonbody. The follower-head is similar to the follower-head shown in Fig. 4, carrying the cams and serving to clamp the packing-rings in place. The sleeve i is provided with an annular shoulder, which clamps the followerhead into engagement with the packing-rings. The sleeve acts as a centering-plug for the follower-head.

We do not wish to be limited to the precise form of cam mechanism for expanding the packing-rings employed upon the ends of the piston-body, nor do we wish to be limited'to the precise form of that portion of `the cam' mechanism carried upon each follower-head.

It is obvious that the precise embodiments of our invention herein shown and particularly described may be modified without departing from the spirit of ou rinvention. IVe do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise construction shown; but,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is

l. In a piston-valve, the combination with a piston-body, of a follower-head carrying a plurality of cams, said piston-body being provided with a centering device for the follower-head, a ringpacking interposed between the piston-body and the follower-head, a plurality of cam-blocks interposed between the cams and the ring-packing, said followerhead being rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the piston-body, and suitable means for clamping the ringpacking between the follower-head and the piston-body, substantially as described.

2. In a piston-valve,the combination with a piston-body, of a follower-head carrying a plurality of eccentrically-disposed cams, said piston-body being provided with a centering device for the follower-head, two metallic packing-rings interposed between the. pistonbody and `the follower-head, a plurality of cam-blocks each provided with an extension f', said follower-head being rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the piston-body, and` means for securing the follower-head in the position to which it is adjusted and serving to press the followerhead in firm engagement with the packingrings to maintain the packing-rings in place between the piston-body and the followerhead, substantially as described.

3. In a piston-valve, the combination with a piston-body, of a follower-head carrying a plurality of eccentric cams, a centeringplug provided upon the piston-body passing ICO IIC

through a bore in the follower-head, packingrings interposed between the lfollower-head and the piston-body, a plurality of cam-blocks provided with enlargements f', pins provided upon the piston-body serving to separate the cam-blocks, said follower-head being rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the piston-body, and means for securing the follower-head in the position to which it is adjusted and serving to engage the follower-head firmly with the packingrings to secure the same in position between the follower-head and the piston-body, substantially as described.

4E. In a piston-valve, the combination with a piston-body, of a follower-head carrying a plurality of eccentric cams, a threaded portion carried by the piston-body passing through a bore in the follower-head, a plurality of cam-blocks provided with enlargements f', pins g g, g g provided upon the piston-'body serving to separate vthe cam-blocks, said follower-head being rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the piston-body, packing-rings interposed between the follower-head and the piston-body, each packing-ring being provided with a pin k interposed between the pins g g, and means for securing the follower-head in the position to which it is adjusted and serving to engage the'follower-head firmly with the packingrings to secure the same in position between the follower-head and the piston-body, substantially as described.

5. In a piston-valve, the combination with a piston-body, of an adjustable follower-head upon each end, each follower-head being provided with a cam-surface, a ring-packing interposed between the piston-body and each follower head, cam blocks interposed between each cam-surface and rin g-packing,and means for clamping the follower-heads in position, whereby the rin g-packings between each passing through a follower-head, each of said extensions being provided with a suitable surface adapted for engagement with a suitable wrench or tool 'to hold the pistonbody at one end to prevent the piston-body from being rotated while rotary eiort is applied to the piston-body, substantially as described.

7. In a piston-valve, the combination with a piston-body, of an adjustable follower-head upon each end, a.ringpacking interposed between the piston-body and eachfollowerhead, cam mechanism upon each end of the piston-body for adjusting the ring-packing, a portion of each cam mechanism being carried bya follower-head, and means for clamping the follower-heads in position, whereby the ring-packings between the follower-heads and the piston-body are lirmly secured in position and their adjustment maintained, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this '7th day of October,A. D. 1898.

HARRY L. IDE. HERMAN FERNSTROM. Witnesses:

ROY W. IDE, T. I. LUBY. 

